Category: Uncategorized

Winding Down

photog 4 Comments Uncategorized , , ,

Lately I’ve been tired.  Too much going on.  Not enough time to get everything done.  And when I’m tired, I think of the strangest things.  Probably disorganized thought processes.  Probably just free association rattling around in my head.

But I seemed to see a parallel between the way I am feeling and our world.  Our civilization is tired.  It’s slowing down.  It’s like a pendulum that’s run out of momentum.  The original impetus that got it going has been worn away by frictional losses and its motion is ebbing away.  Soon it will stop.  And once it stops something different and much less satisfactory will take its place.  We won’t be marking time with the Newtonian clockwork precision of the pendulum.  We’ll measure it by the frantic beat of our hearts as we run in panic from one disaster to the next.

All signs point to decay and the law of the jungle.  The breakdown of law and order in the cities seems to be the new model.  The weak will be at the non-existent mercy of the savage and ugliness will be the norm.  This all follows the same pattern as past iterations.  Rome had its Marius, Sulla, Caesar, Antony and Octavius.  We have Clinton, Obama, Biden, Trump and DeSantis.  These strange monsters appear around the landscape and strut their hour before being replaced by the next monster.  The only thing that’s certain is that the progression is a devolution.  Each character outdoes its predecessor in weirdness and in the amount of damage it will do to its surroundings.

Look at the absurd cast.  We have the game show huckster.  We have the richest man in the world.  We have an ancient senile grifter whose bagman son is a drug-addled pervert.  Soon we’re sure to have a man dressed as a woman running the world.  And finally, we have the prospect that a superhuman artificial intelligence will commandeer our whole human enterprise and possibly pull the plug on all of us.

The more I look at all this the more certain I am that something has got to give.  Somehow, somewhere, a portion of this dying world will break loose and make a new start.  It’s just not reasonable to think that all the progress and energy that existed a generation ago has all been snuffed out.  A civilization that could harness the atom and send rockets to the outer planets couldn’t just lay down and die, leaving nothing behind.  Something will survive.

But I’m also very certain that the wreckage will be horrendous.  For instance, the American cities look to be an almost total loss.  Chicago is leading the way in rushing to meet its fate.  They’ve recently chosen a new mayor who ran on a defund the police subtext.  The recent murder of a policewoman by a couple of teenage thugs just highlights the new power structure in that city.  The criminals have the upper hand and the city government won’t challenge them.

So, the death spiral continues apace and it will get much, much worse before it can even begin to get better.  The only part that is difficult to predict is where and how a new civilization will appear.  Maybe it won’t even be a western culture.  China, India and a few other countries in Asia might hold the seeds to a future renaissance.  But in the short term we will have to go through the whole passion play.  Next up is the tyrant.  Who will be our Caesar?  Our Brutus?  Or maybe we’ll skip ahead and Hunter Biden will be our Caligula.  Only time will tell.

26APR2023 – Update on the Bakhmut Fight

photog 0 Comment Uncategorized , , ,

As can be seen in the satellite photo below, the Russians (in red) have almost completed the painfully slow process of ejecting the Ukrainians from Bakhmut by reducing the city to rubble via artillery bombardment.  The Ukrainians are probably down to a few thousand soldiers with the bulk having already retreated out of Bakhmut to the nearby towns of Chasiv Yar and Ivanivske.

But supposedly the final stronghold is structurally reinforced and may even be hiding a tunnel system out of the city.  Previously it was believed that this stronghold of tall apartment buildings was being held by some of the most battle-hardened professionals in the Ukraine forces.  Whether that is still the case is unknown.  But the fighting at this point may even be harder and bloodier than what came before in this already grueling battle.

The Ukrainians are attempting to hold onto the town until after May 9th which is the anniversary (in Russia) of the end of WWII in Europe.  They want to deny Russia the propaganda boost that the date represents in the Russian mind.  Looks like it could go either way.

After the end of the Bakhmut conflict it is widely believed that the Ukrainian counterattack will commence.  Well, that is if the ground dries out sufficiently for heavy vehicles to move easily through the mud.  Apparently the rain for the last couple of weeks has rendered the fields impassable.  Hell of a war they’ve (or we’ve) got going there.

What’s Next for Tucker Carlson?

photog 2 Comments Uncategorized , , , , , , , , ,

Well, now there’s no reason to watch Fox News anymore.  It should be interesting to see how Carlson decides to go forward from here.  I’m assuming he’s not hurting for money.  He should probably start a channel on Rumble and put up a paywall.  He’s one of the more interesting people in broadcasting.  People will pay to get his content.

The other possibility is he goes into politics.  That I see as more problematic.  Politics is a very dirty game.  If you don’t need to use it to make lots of dirty money it won’t be an interesting career.

I think Carlson could form some kind of relationship with the likes of Matt Taibbi, Glenn Greenwald, Salena Zito, Sharyl Attkisson and a few other real journalists to produce a media outlet that would provide the kind of reporting and opinion that can’t be found anywhere else in the media.  They would have believability.  That’s something that is so sorely lacking everywhere else.

If done right and without all the overhead that comes with a Fox News or a CNN, Carlson and a few reporters could break away from the dying landscape of network and cable news shows that no one needs or wants anymore.  News and analysis.  With the internet and a few resources like Rumble and maybe Elon Musk’s Twitter who needs studios and boardrooms?

Come to think of it, Carlson interviewed Musk last week.  Maybe those two could strike up a deal where Tucker’s content was available exclusively on Twitter with some of it behind a paywall.  It could make both of them a lot of money.  And it could serve as a model for the future.  I’ve heard that Musk wants to add a “substack” option to Twitter.  Having someone like Tucker Carlson as his first big “channel” might be just the thing he needs to steer talent to his platform.

So anyway, Tucker’s “firing” could be a very opportune moment to start seeing a new journalism.  Without the bloat of the dinosaur media, a cadre of people who want to tell interesting stories that have some resemblance to objective reality could provide a service that people would be willing to pay for.  I, even I, would pay a little bit for that.

Now it’s also certain that all the usual suspects on the Left will be gunning for Tucker Carlson.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a target for the Justice Department’s attack dogs.  Their hatred for him probably rivals how they feel about Donald Trump.  After all he’s another traitor to his class.  They’ve already once gone after his family at home.  He had to move away from Washington to protect them.  This is not a trivial threat.  Hopefully he’s made enough money to be able to afford professional security services.  But no one is safe from the abuse that the FBI can bring to bear.  We’ll have to see whether these problems crop up for him.

Well, these are interesting times.  Tucker Carlson has been the only truthful voice in mainstream news commentary.  I hope that he will be able to find a way to continue shining a light on the criminal activities of the Washington regime.  There isn’t any other voice out there that has both his reach and credibility.  Hopefully someone like Musk who has the reach and also the money to set up a platform for him will come along and take advantage of this interesting opportunity.

Chicago Police Officially Give Up

photog 3 Comments Uncategorized , ,

The natural evolution of the breakdown of law and order in Chicago has reached the next stage; police capitulation.

The hot weather must have stirred up the blood of the youth of Chicago so they went on a rampage.

“Hundreds of teens cause fiery chaos in Downtown Chicago as they torch cars in rampage organized on social media: Vastly outnumbered police manage just 15 arrests.”

It appeared as if police were unable to handle the crowd and were seen escorting innocent bystanders and tourists to safety.

Mayor Lightfoot said while many of the young people gathered to have a good time and enjoy the weather, some were involved in ‘reckless, disrespectful and unlawful behavior.’

So burning cars, assaulting passersby and shooting each other is reckless and disrespectful.  That’s a very revealing interpretation.  What would it take for her to call it a riot, mass decapitations?

Lightfoot noted that Chicago police leadership has assured her they will ‘make the necessary adjustments to address these teen trends issues as we move into the summer months.’

But the most telling statement comes from the mayor-elect, Brandon Johnson:

“It is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities,” he said. “Our city must work together to create spaces for youth to gather safely and responsibly, under adult guidance and supervision, to ensure that every part of our city remains welcome for both residents and visitors.”

TRANSLATION:

Go ahead burn the city down I’ve got your back just keep voting for me and you can do whatever you like.

So this is before the new mayor takes office.  Can you imagine what will be going on by Juneteenth?  The devolution is moving along nicely.  Maybe Mayor Johnson doesn’t even get through the first year of his term before he throws in the towel and calls for Illinois to enact martial law.  Either way we’re getting a ringside seat to the next stage in Joe Biden’s America.  Well, it’s a hell of a ride.

Disney Reviving Firefly? Possible? Preferable?

photog 3 Comments Uncategorized , , ,

I stumbled across this video about whether Disney was planning to revive the Science Fiction series Firefly with the original cast.  Even after watching this discussion I wondered if this thing is just clickbait.

Sure, there are millions of Firefly fans who would love to see the show resurrected.  But how could it be done.  From what I’ve read Joss Whedon has been #MeToo’ed out of Hollywood or something and it’s been twenty years since the show went off the air and the lead is involved in a successful tv series.

But put that aside.  Suppose that  it could be done.  Suppose Nathan Fillion and the rest of the cast and Joss Whedon and his creative team from the original series could be reunited.  There remains the question of whether it should be done.  And by that I mean could Disney be trusted not to sabotage the whole thing by doing what they’ve done to Star Wars, The Avengers and every other intellectual property they buy?

I’ve got to be honest.  I think they’d ruin it.  Someway, somehow they’d corrupt the whole thing with the poison that they seem compulsively driven to inject in all their products.  They’d have Malcolm Reynolds discovering that he was a victim of whiteness and Zoe would have to become captain to atone for his sins.  And Jayne would end up transgendered and River would become a social justice warrior and Kaylee would have to go lesbian just to make the math work.

No, Disney should never try to bring Firefly back.  If Whedon were able to buy the intellectual property back and do it without interference there might be a chance of it turning out decent.  He could write some interesting stories for his world.  But Disney would murder it.  And that shouldn’t be done.  Let that special place exist in the past.  We can visit anytime we want with our dvds or streamed or on some network that loves good stories.  But don’t give it to the soulless hacks at Disney.  It deserves better than that.

 

09APR2023 – Quotation – Easter Sunday

photog 4 Comments Uncategorized , ,

Luke Chapter 24

1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

8 And they remembered his words,

9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

El Presidente

photog 1 Comment Uncategorized , ,

Hard news.  No corned beef was to be had at the local grocery store.  So now we have cabbage and potatoes and no beef.  Shocking and depressing.  Well, we’ll see.  If we have it another day it’ll count.

Out in the real world today.  Some bank business and visiting some folks.  Got back to my regular exercise routine after a week of snow shoveling.  Finally had a chance to listen to the ZMan’s podcast this afternoon.  It was a discussion of the Irish “Troubles.”  He explains how some of the lessons learned there could be applied to our situation with respect to the occupying army we face.

Looking through the news articles I saw that various federal and state prosecutors are trying to get up the nerve to indict Donald Trump for everything from soliciting sex (Stormy Daniels) to treason.  And another article said that YouTube has restored Trump’s account on the video site.  Boy, do they hate that guy.

But the biggest stories are about failing banks.  Apparently, a reckoning is finally setting in over our reckless, seemingly endless trillions of dollars conjured out of thin air.  You can see it happening.  In 2008 we saw the first wave.  After the Bush II wars and the loosening of home mortgage requirements had maxed out the federal government’s credit card, the investment banks were overleveraged and Lehman Brothers sank under the weight.  The Fed rescued the even bigger banks and GM and we saw the beginning of “too big to fail.”  The stock market has been propped up by zero interest rates for a decade and more but with the COVID debacle and the insane energy policies of the Greenies, inflation has roared back to life and so the government economists tried to raise the prime rate to tame this inflation.  But that puts all these zero rate bonds under water.  And the little banks then see people stampeding out looking for a way to get some return on their money.

And the result is smaller investment banks like SVB go bust.  Now it’s thought the Fed will stop increasing the interest rates and maybe even back it down.  And that will reignite inflation and impoverish the working class.  “Well so what?” says Joe Biden, “as long as the banks stay open.”

And we hear that consolidation is ahead and when the dust settles there will be only four or five banks left.  And since those banks are too big to fail what it really means is that the banks are really now just another name for the US Treasury.  And that’s supposed to make us feel better.

But what’s the next step?  So essentially the US government now guarantees all of our money in all banks.  And not just $250,000 or $500,000 but however much you have.  And what’s next?  When another big corporation starts failing like Google or Meta will the Feds prop it up too?  And what about smaller companies?  You see where this goes.  There will be one car company, one giant retailer, one appliance company, one social media company, etc. and all of them will be propped up by Uncle Sam.  And the employees of those companies are effectively employees of the government.

What is being described is a socialist country like Britain in the 1970s, or as the worst case, the Soviet Union.  Long before we get to that endpoint our currency will no longer be considered the world’s reserve currency.  It will be considered toilet paper.  But the way things are going nobody will do anything about it.  Nobody wants to rock the boat.  We just slowly settle into endless bureaucracy, mediocrity and dependence.

So, in this pathetic version of 1984, Big Brother is Joe Biden; a lying dementia case who smiles or shouts or cries depending on which lies he’s selling that day.  But somehow he’ll have to explain away the fact that America is becoming Cuba.  I guess he can buy an olive drab uniform, grow a beard, smoke a cigar and start calling himself “El Presidente.”  Yeah, it’s about right.

Update:

Chemist replies:

“Not so fast, Photog. The US government will not guarantee all the deposits in all of the banks. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that: uninsured deposits, would only be covered in the event that a “failure to protect uninsured depositors would create systemic risk and significant economic and financial consequences.”
Josh Hawley relied: “Let me translate that, you only get protection if you’re a woke billionaire who gives a lot of money to Democrats.”

I can easily see Biden letting a red state bank fail and telling the red state depositors to suck it up. Just like he is letting the people in East Palestine suffer.
If you vote GOP you don’t matter in Biden’s America.”

You make a good point Chemist.  If Gavin Newsome asks Uncle Joe to help out he will.  If I might lose money that would be a source of humor and nothing else.

photog

Bakhmut Battle Reaches Critical Stage

photog 1 Comment Uncategorized , , , ,

The mapping sites following the Ukraine war now show the encirclement of Bakhmut by the Russians reaching a critical stage where the two remaining paved roads that allow re-supply of men and materiel and retreat of vehicles, are under fire control by the Russian positions.

The descriptions I’ve listened to by Ukrainian soldiers of the situation on the ground are horrific.  The combat situation consists of small groups of Ukrainians hunkered down in sheltered positions and Russians sending small patrols to draw their fire followed by artillery and mortar fire being used to dislodge or destroy those Ukrainian positions.  They say morale is rock bottom.  They describe what seems like endless barrages of artillery forcing them to retreat to new positions day in and day out.

Grim stuff.

Update:

Warpig’s analysis:

“Standard Russian tactics. Little change from WWII other than the range of missiles and artillery. Putin and his commanders care little about casualties. They just bombard everything, including civilians and hospitals and children, then throw masses of infantry and tanks at the target. That wouldn’t work against NATO but Russia carefully picks less capable targets. NATO would hand them their heinies, especially in air supremacy. But Zelinski is short on air power. Russia is corrupt and incompetent but they have a crapload of artillery and conscripts, and numbers can be a power of their own. I would love to be the US commander of a division if Russia tried to invade Poland, but as a Ukranian, not so much.”